I do wonder what exactly makes a compelling RO.
Clithus and Kris have this admirable trait that might make them better options than Melissa or Princess Sophia, specifically the two possess an independent streak whereby they live in the world by their own ideals (Kris is a thief, Clithus is a female knight), realizing themselves as individuals whilst Princess Sophia and Melissa seem far less proactive against the world and more reactive to it.
What is the origin point for love? Is it love for loves sack? Or is the desire for affection and companionship exist to compensate for one’s conscious flaws?
At least from a my perspective I can conceptualize the idea of falling in love with someone they admire, because they possess traits that counter one’s own conscious flaws. If the same can be said for the other party, then the crossover between the admirable traits connecting to the other’s conscious flaws makes both parties feel like better individuals for being with each other.
Kind of like a jigsaw.
Perhaps then on a certain level neither Melissa nor Princess Sophia are the best ROs for the MC on a personal level.
The MC’s relation with Melissa started before the two could properly understand romantic love, hence they were friends whom when they came of age would apply their pre-established friendly relationships under a more mature context. That is at least what Melissa attempts and the MC can try to do the same or restrict their perception of her to only of that as a friend.
Princess Sophia represents the next stage of the MC’s journey ( former title: Kingdoms: A Man’s Journey). Unlike with Melissa she is a complete stranger and is forcibly prepackaged to be his spouse and is hostile from the start and is disliked by the nobles. She is a complete contradiction to Melissa and someone with whom the MC is expected to foster a mature relationship with.
Melissa’s advantage is that she came off as likable enough from the start and is presumably not disliked by the nobility and cares about family. On paper she makes the ideal spouse for a political marriage compared to Sophia, because her humanity and credibility are better expressed.
However apart from that she is rather mediocre as an individual, apart from her social status she is not of any spectacular or special substance. Her possible interest in botany (finding that silver flower) does help accentuate her caring nature and desire for family and for a moment she almost seems too good for this world.
But then we see this humanity distort, this capacity for care and warmth metamorphose into jealousy and resentment. This could be considered Melissa’s own character journey as she mentally grows from a soft spoken and innocent child to someone more assertive of their own will. It just so happens that she shows this side towards Sophia (water prank), the woman who arguably caused her to lose the MC and take control away from her life (no choice but to marry Marxus).
But she hasn’t truly matured as much as she’s still a child whose now lashing out against authority, with Sophia being a tangible representation of what denied her wishes. Once she gets over this and gives Marxus a chance she will discover she can still love and fulfill that emotion with him, which she wasn’t able to do with the MC (i.e. family).
Of course its possible lingering feelings of an unfulfilled love towards the Second Prince might still exist, which the MC could exploit, tricking Melissa out of true happiness and into a more precarious state.
Princess Sophia… likes to draw. Also she’s apparently great at magic. Also she’s royalty from an enemy nation. Also she’s gone through more hardships than Melissa or the MC, so she’s more mature or at least such is assumed, not that we’ve been made endeared to what she’s been through. Also she would be great at helping the MC with state affairs because she’s shrewd. Also she might be the key to reuniting the two kingdoms.
So many useful traits come with her, which almost justifies why she’s so hard to get and must be won. She lack’s Melissa’s humanity but does hold more potential value as a tool for what she can offer. In that regard it is beneficial to get her to love the MC but less appealing for the MC to genuinely love her.
Both she and Melissa are reactive to world’s turnings, both are pawns but she has less personality, with her demeanor akin to that of a still doll. While there is some appeal in wanting to decode what makes her tick, she’s almost uncanny when otherwise just hostile. Already difficult to approach she also possesses an air of vanity around her, unwilling to connect with her environment she keeps herself sealed all the while looking down upon others.
In other words: she’s kind of boring personality wise despite her price tag. She’s expressive only while hostile and its hard to pin down who she is beyond that. To me she holds style (beautiful, mysterious, implied sad backstory, magical prodigy) over substance (rather shallow as a character). Although to be fair its entirely possible we might see character growth and new sides to her as we see her react in new situations. On the other hand she might just remain as she is and the fanbase for some reason will still adore her as the best thing ever.
Personally I’ve still yet to see her express any endearing trait(s) to showcase some aspect of her humanity, to actually want to get to know her outside of simply needing her for her value.
Clithus despite being an ally of Sophia could make for a more interesting character, her initial premise does hold appeal and interest: Who is she, why was she trained with the blade, how does she feel about chivalry, does she see herself as a lady or a knight or both, what are her ideals for which she lives and fights for, what is her general life like, why does she protect Sophia, etc.
A female who becomes a knight means there is obviously something different or special to her, already there is considerable incentive to want to know more about her. Her traits seem to be noble and protective, both quite admirable. The fact she retains them despite the obvious stigma she must go through highlights her strong resolve for her own beliefs and her empowered state. She’s not too similar to the MC (kind of like Sophia) and not as traditionally feminine like Melissa but her own unique entity.
Could make for an interesting RO if she ever fell for the MC, assuming there is someway to have her drawn to him in the first place.
(Of course she might just be a spy, although considering Princess Sophia isn’t particularly loyal to Lucarex she might only be loyal towards protecting her)
Kris is the least developed so far but has a mischievous flair to them, they braved into the royal residence without getting caught and seem to enjoy the thrill of it. Seem to be the most extroverted of the four ROs despite being associated with stealth and intrigue and might even possess the most freedom despite being lowborn, which is definitely a trait to envy. They might even be acting on some kind of cause they believe in or it could be completely selfish.
This does make them a little difficult to judge, they seem to be a wildcard, making their motivations all the more fascinating to uncover.
